Pennridge boys and girls soccer teams both notched non-league wins over Quakertown in a battle of the neighboring rivals.
Boys
PENNRIDGE 4, QUAKERTOWN 1
The script might not have gone exactly as Pete Valimont planned it, but as milestones go, notching career win number 100 at home against a neighboring rival was pretty special for the Rams’ coach.
“We did the math last year just putzing around with end-of-year stuff, and I was joking around with my assistants and some of my seniors from last year, hoping that we could possibly get it done with that group,” Valimont said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, so I’ve been kind of off and on with my wife that when I got to that or a league championship here, we might call it a good run and have more time with the family.
“We were pushing it for it the first two games, and that obviously didn’t work out. It’s kind of ironic how a Pennridge grad finally gets it versus the neighborhood rival in Quakertown. Somebody was watching over and had their own path for it to happen. It worked out this way. For some people, it’s not that big a deal. For me and this program and everything, it’s pretty big behind closed doors.”
The visiting Panthers battled, but the Rams scored a pair of late goals to put some distance between themselves and their rivals.
“They have a good team this year, and their coach Lee (Bishop) is doing a really nice job,” Valimont said. “They played a really good game and gave us a bunch of trouble.
“Our guys played well. We had some lapses for a little while here and there, and Quakertown got back in it, but towards the very end, we were able to settle it down, and I was able to walk off with a smile and come home to a nice little celebration my wife and my boys were able to put together for me. In the end, it all worked out, and it was a nice evening.”
Friday’s game was the third in four days for the Rams.
“Our first two games obviously were a chore to deal with against North Penn and CB East, and we had a handful of guys that were banged up, so we started nine new starters out of 11,” Valimont said. “Within three minutes, one of them – Joe Curran – scored a great goal, and then he got stepped on and was out the rest of the game. Unfortunately, he got hurt, but having him start paid off.”
Midway through the opening half Kevin Link scored with an assist from Aidan Castle to send the Rams into halftime with a 2-0 lead. The Panthers cut that lead in half with a goal five minutes into the second half.
“They really took it to us for a good 25 minutes or so,” Valimont said. “Their goalie is very special – he’s a really talented player, and he made of couple of really nice breakaway saves.
“Eventually, we were able to break their back line. Aidan Castle again got free and was able to cross it to Jake Saville, and he was able to put it in the net on the weakside behind the goalie.”
Seconds after Saville scored, Kevin Link found the back of the net to give the Rams their final margin of victory.
“He got a ball, beat a couple of defenders and had a nice strike with his left foot in the back of the net to seal it and make sure we were able to walk away with a win,” Valimont said.
The Rams’ coach acknowledged the strong player of center backs Colin Monahan and Shane Velez.
“They were the only two that started that have been playing all the minutes for us, and they were able to do a really nice job and hold it down in the back so it wasn’t too chaotic of a lineup,” Valimont said. “Both of our goalies did a nice job – Owen Gunn had a shutout in the first half, and in the second half, CJ Dimmick only let in one but he made some nice saves. They both did a nice job.”
Pennridge (1-2, 0-2 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks West Tuesday (5 p.m.), and Quakertown (0-3, 0-2) will host Wissahickon on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Quakertown 0-1 1
Pennridge 2-2 4
Girls
PENNRIDGE 4, QUAKERTOWN 0
The names and faces might change, but the results are pretty much the same. The Lady Rams win. A whole lot. On Friday, they picked up their third win in four days to cap an impressive opening week.
“I’m just really impressed with how quickly my team is getting through some of these challenges because really – aside from maybe three or four girls – it’s a brand new team,” Pennridge coach Audrey Anderson said. “I feel like I say that every year, but this year with all these freshmen that are starting or getting a lot of minutes – I’ve just been really impressed with how well they’ve adjusted to the type of soccer we want to play at Pennridge and the type of soccer that we play against.”
One of those freshmen – Liv Grenda – scored an early goal that turned out to be the game-winner. Another freshman – Anna Croyle – has played every minute at center back for the Rams.
“She’s smart, she sees the field really well,” Anderson said of Croyle. “She doesn’t seem to panic, but I would imagine coming in as a freshman she feels a lot of pressure, but it doesn’t seem to really get to her.
“I would say that about most of my freshmen. They seem to really be embracing the opportunity. I think our upperclassmen have done a really nice job of making them feel like they’re part of this team. I really feel like everyone is embracing it which is nice.”
Leah Malone connected on her first of two goals to put her team on top 2-0, and then it was Lindsey DeHaven finding the net on a free kick to give the Rams a three-goal advantage.
“Lindsay DeHaven is just super, super calm in there,” Anderson said. “She got hurt in the first half, so I sat her out the second half, but she’s that player I think everybody looks to during the game, and how she reacts – I think people feed off of that. She’s just been really calm, and I think that leadership on the field is important.
“I’m also asking her to play a role she hasn’t played before, so she’s been having to learn somewhat of a new position on the field (holding center mid after playing attacking center mid) and be that leader on the field that people are looking at.”
Just before halftime, Malone closed out the scoring, connecting on a header off a Kera Dam crossing pass.
There’s a mutual respect on the sidelines when Anderson and Quakertown coach Mike Koch do battle.
“I like playing Mike, and I think he would say the same thing,” Anderson said. “All these kids grew up playing together at some point. We know a lot of the same kids, so it’s always fun to play them.
“I thought his keeper did a really good job. The second half we did a better job of playing the ball.”
Pennridge (3-0, 2-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and Quakertown (1-2, 1-1) will be on the road at Wissahickon Tuesday.
Pennridge 4-0 4
Quakertown 0-0 0
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